Head coach Rae Dower continues to widen the net with April’s Commonwealth Bank Junior Matildas training camp set to welcome 30 promising footballers to South Australia.
The second training camp of 2022, with players from across the nation, including WA-based players for the first time in two years, have been called in as national team selectors continue to cast their eye across the next generation of Australian footballers.
Running from 20 April to 26 April, the training camp sees the selection of 2005 and 2006 born players with a mix of new and returning players into the under-17 environment.
Northern NSW Football and Newcastle Jets trio Lara Gooch, Zoe Karipidis and Chloe Walandouw have been included in the 30-player squad.
“On the back of a successful camp for 2005 born players recently in Canberra, the upcoming camp in Adelaide gives the staff and I an opportunity to see another 30 players from the playing cohort,” Dower said.
“The message will be consistent as it was for the last camp, to come and soak up as much as they can and take as much as possible away from the experience. They will be encouraged to train and play with freedom and bring their individuality and creativity to the camp and to enjoy the experience.
“The players will get an opportunity to see where their own game is at, take some feedback away to their training environments, put that into practice daily and work hard to improve themselves, on and off the pitch. Every day is an opportunity to be better than we were yesterday and that process never ends.”
The training camp will culminate in a Green v Gold public match at 3pm (AEST) on ANZAC Day, which will officially open the new Football South Australia State Centre for Football at Gepp’s Crossing.
The match will be livestreamed around the country and provide another coach education opportunity around talent identification with Dower the headliner in a Talent Identification Workshop.
“There are so many exciting players in this cohort already. Some of the best players I have seen at their age, bar none. It’s our responsibility now to nurture that talent and provide them with the opportunities to continue to grow and develop, on and off the pitch,” Dower said.
“We’ll also be providing some professional development opportunities for the Football South Australia staff who are doing some really great work with these young players, with Adelaide United reaping the rewards in the Liberty A-League Women’s this year by making the finals for the first time.
“We want to continue to send a message to all players that we are looking to unearth talented players who we think can go on and become professionals and Matildas of the future. That’s where our gaze is, it’s on the future.”
